Here at Spindogs, we believe in paying it forward and celebrating our success by helping others succeed. So, in honour of our 15th birthday last year, we set out to help 15 charities and devote them our time, effort and appreciation. We put choosing these charities into the hands of the Spindogs family, so that our team would have the chance to support organisations that have real meaning to them.
It was a pleasant surprise to find out how many incredible charities play a huge part in the lives of our team members. This personal connection gave our Culture Club team the extra push to think outside the box and come up with the best ways to get everyone involved in our charitable efforts.
Here are our top five ways to get your team to give back:
Spread the love
The reason we give to charity is pretty simple: we care about the cause! Yet a lot of the time giving to charity can feel quite disconnected. Throwing a few pennies in a pot doesn’t really give you an understanding of the help you’ve provided. This is why making the effort to really connect with the charity can make a world of difference. You can do this through small gestures, such as recognising the times when your chosen charity might need the support the most. One of the charities on our list is the Penarth Live at Home Scheme, an organisation which helps the elderly get some much-needed socialisation while living independently. This past festive season, we showed them our love by getting the team together to write Christmas cards full of well wishes for the attendees. Each card contained a personal message from a team member and no two were alike, so every person from the scheme would feel as though they’d received something special!
Show up
Giving to charity isn’t always about cold, hard cash – your time is just as valuable as any monetary donation. One of the core Spindogs values is to ‘show you care’, and giving up some of our free time is the perfect way to do this. Since August, we have volunteered our time to support numerous events for our charities, including cheering on the Motor Neurone Disease Association at the Cardiff Half Marathon, cleaning up Barry beach on behalf of Friends of Barry Beaches, and organising ‘Walk With Me’, a night walk to raise awareness of the National Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and for Women’s Aid.
Be a social butterfly
Nearly everyone on the planet uses some form of social media – from your little sister posting selfies on the ‘gram’ to your nan’s letter-style statuses on Facebook – and its visibility in our daily life is only increasing. That’s why using your social platforms to dabble in altruism is the perfect way to raise awareness of causes close to your heart. Sharing info about a specific charity or plugging fundraising events can really help make a difference. It could lead to a boost in donations, aid you in recruiting more volunteers, or even help someone in need to reach out. Head over to our Instagram to take a look at what we’ve been doing to make use of our following and raise awareness of our chosen charities. Whether it’s meeting with the team at Kidney Wales, shouting about International Alopecia Day, or promoting our walk for Women’s Aid, we’ve made sure to spread the word about our charities.
Give what you’ve already got
When you’re rallying your team to come up with the next big charity idea, it’s easy to forget that your team members are an asset in themselves. No matter what your business is, you will have something worthwhile to offer. Using the resources you already have is an easy way to be charitable without really trying! As a digital agency, we offer in-house training for a number of different aspects of online marketing. We knew that many of our 15 charities either didn’t have the know-how, or could use a little refresher on how to make the most of their digital platforms, so we invited them to come along to some of our training courses, fully subsidised. This way, we’ve taken our skills and helped enhance theirs – something you can do whether you’re a butcher, a baker or a website maker.
Make it worth their while
Getting everyone in the office to empty their pockets can be a hard sell, even if it is for a good cause, so why not make it a fair trade? This year we’ve done a Rugby World Cup sweepstake and a weekly Great Spindogs Bake Off – combining our competitive side with our famous adoration for cake. This way, as well as making your team happy – seriously, Sian’s millionaire shortbread can make anyone smile! – you raise a few pounds towards your chosen charity, hassle-free. Win, win!
Although charity is a huge part of the Spindogs culture, we also do a lot of other great stuff! If you’d like some help with anything digital, get in touch below, we’d love to hear from you!